Eyes in the Crowd
by michelerene
Summary: Out of the million pairs of eyes Sasuke had scanned over his career, one set of blue were the only ones that had ever meant to catch his own. SasuNaru.


Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Co. and therefore I do not make anything from playing with them like they are my own personal and rather naughty action figures.

Summary: Out of the million pairs of eyes Sasuke had scanned over his career, one set of blue were the only ones that had ever meant to catch his own. SasuNaru.

Author's Note: If any of you saw the list of things that I have in the works, that I've started and haven't finished. (This doesn't include DarkAlbino, who is very aware.) It's large, staggering even, and yet I still let monstrous little plot bunnies bite me in nether regions. Such is life.

This story is written for the lovely and amazing Ash365. If I could, I would swim oceans to sit at her feet and make her smile and laugh as long as she needs it.

Eyes in the Crowd

It is important to realize that Itachi Uchiha was poised to take over the world. He had the charisma, the drive, and, most importantly, the obvious lack of beating heart. All the makings of a successful politician.

He was the eldest son of the Uchihas, a family who could trace their ancestry back to Alexander the Great. His great-great grandfather was instrumental in the industrial revolution and the generations of Uchiha that followed only added to their fame. Itachi's own father, Fugaku, hadn't pursued politics of any kind, but had single-handedly kept the family business afloat and growing while others were crashing around them daily.

The Uchihas were no stranger to the paparazzi and Itachi could be heard, in his cool, calculated voice saying that 'no press was bad press'. Of course, Itachi also had his hands, figuratively and sometimes literally speaking, in most of the news broadcasting stations and magazine companies so there really wasn't ever any 'bad' press to contend with.

So, to recap: Itachi Uchiha was handsome, intelligent, motivated, and backed by generations of brilliance. He was loved by half the known world.

Of course, this meant that he was hated by the other half, and that's where his little brother, Sasuke Uchiha stepped in.

Sasuke was five years younger than his brother and, at the age of twenty-five, in charge of his brother's security detail. Had someone told him when he was eighteen that he would be responsible for protecting his brother's life he would have laughed in their face. Okay, not laughed in the traditional sense, but it's amazing how mocking one strategically raised eyebrow can be.

After graduating from the university at twenty with a degree in criminal justice and serving four years in the Marines, Sasuke realized that if anyone could keep his politically-inspired brother out of harm's way, it was him. He just needed to think like the idiots who wanted his brother stopped in any way possible. He found that thinking like someone who wanted to kill his brother came surprisingly easy.

He had been on the job for five months the first time someone tried to hurt his brother. Standing off to the side of the stage, Sasuke stood all in black, hands clasped behind his back when he noticed a man in dark glasses and a hoodie pushing his way through the throngs of people in the assembly room. Itachi was fielding questions, most of them angry, and the group had all stood from their chairs shouting at Itachi and each other. The man weaved closer and closer until he stopped fifteen feet from the stage.

Sasuke hissed furiously into his radio and stepped closer to Itachi. Most of the time Itachi was just as aware of his surroundings as Sasuke, but he had been up all night at a strategy session for this very meeting and although no one but Sasuke would notice, he wasn't at the top of his game.

He was five feet from his brother when the hooded man drew his gun, three feet when the crowd panicked, and in front of him just in time to catch the bullet in his shoulder.

Sasuke heard the noise level grow as chaos set in and felt himself pulled behind the podium. Pain blossomed from his shoulder like a white wave crashing over his body and he bit harshly on his lip. In his ear bud he heard his men reporting their status: ambulance called, police notified, shooter down, but it all faded into the background to the sound of his brother, holding him against his chest, repeating over and over and over...

"Foolish little brother."

When Sasuke came to, he heard his mother and Itachi arguing. Well, honestly, it was just his mother firmly treating Itachi like he had cold-heartedly and maliciously held Sasuke in front of him like a human shield.

"Your brother is lying in a bed with a hole in his body! Your little brother!"

"Mikoto," his father said soothingly but his mother made an angry noise and Sasuke nearly jumped when he felt her fingers glide through his hair.

For a moment, he relished in the fact that it was Itachi in the hot seat, childishly enjoying being the poor, injured one. Was it fair? No. Everyone knew, including his mother, that had Itachi had a chance, he would have shoved Sasuke behind him, bodyguard or not.

"When he is watching Itachi, who is watching him?"

"Mother."

Oh, the word was so soft and remorseful, so unlike his older brother that Sasuke couldn't let this go on. He turned his head into his mother's gentle touch and opened his eyes.

"Oh, Sasuke!" she whispered, cupping the side of his face before kissing his forehead. "What were you…" Her question faltered when Sasuke wrapped his fingers around her wrist, moving her hand away from his face. He arched a dark eyebrow and she sighed. "You boys are..." Three words, but Sasuke got the picture.

"I can't be sorry," he said and turned his attention to his brother and father. "I won't be."

Fugaku shook his head and rested his hand on Sasuke's good shoulder. "No one is asking you to. We are all just glad that you are alright. That you both are."

Sasuke nodded and watched his mother step closer to Itachi, gathering his hand in her own, a silent apology. Itachi closed his eyes for a moment and Sasuke thought he looked exhausted. Itachi opened his eyes and like they had for years, the brothers communicated without need for words. Fear, relief, guilt, all unacceptable when spoken aloud, but for this moment…

The moment past and Itachi's dark, focused eyes held his own. "Now, I think we need to discuss how a man with a gun got past your security, little brother."

Sasuke pretended to go to sleep.

Two months after the shooting, Sasuke stood two feet behind his brother and watched the crowd. Today, they were outside on an airfield. Itachi sat along with several other notable personalities and watched the test flight of a new jet.

Security onto the airfield was covered at the only gate of entry, but Sasuke didn't trust anything completely unless he had patted down every person himself.

The jet screamed across the sky and a thousand pair of eyes tracked it, heads turning in a nearly choreographed motion. Except one. One pair of eyes, that even from a distance shone blue like the sky, that didn't leave the stage.

Sasuke's whole body tensed. The man was of medium build, with blond hair that looked towel dried and forgotten, and an intense look on his face. His head tilted to the side and he must have noticed that he had Sasuke's attention because a smile came to his face. Sasuke's heart rate doubled and he told himself it was because he was looking at a threat.

Above him the jet did a complicated roll, looking for all to see, as if it was falling out of the sky. The crowd gasped and anticipating another threat, Sasuke's attention shifted for only a second, two at most.

When he looked back, the blue-eyed man was gone.

The next time Sasuke saw the blond man was at a banquet where Itachi was the key note speaker. He sat near the back, impeccably dressed, ankle crossed at his knee. When he realized he had Sasuke's attention, he winked. Had Sasuke been any less of a man, a soldier, an Uchiha, his mouth would have dropped at the cockiness. He watched him nearly non-stop the rest of the meal. He never did anything more suspicious than watch the stage as though his life depended on it.

By their fifth encounter, Sasuke had had enough. The blond was everywhere and although he didn't seem to present a threat, both Itachi and Sasuke agreed it was time to see what he wanted.

Sasuke walked briskly beside Itachi as they exited the hotel lobby. Sasuke's men already had eyes on the blond and, after assuring Itachi was secure in his limousine, he turned just in time to see Shikamaru 'assist' the sputtering blond into a black car behind them.

A small smile pulled at Sasuke's lips and he opened the door to the front passenger's seat of Itachi's limo. Sliding inside, Sasuke adjusted his jacket and gave the signal for them to leave.

He couldn't help but think that this would be fun.

Sasuke let himself into the small study, shutting the door behind him. With his back to the room, he heard the shuffling of their guest as he pushed himself out of his chair.

"I am pretty sure that you don't have the authority to detain someone against their will."

Sasuke turned slowly to see the man standing with his arms crossed over his chest. He wore a soft, black leather jacket over a grey bottom up shirt and dark blue jeans. His hair was like it always was, a chaotic cluster of blond spikes.

"Hn."

The man's eyes widened at the sound and then narrowed. "Did you just 'hn' me?"

Sasuke moved, his footsteps against the dark carpet the only sound in the room, before he stopped behind a leather love seat. He met the man's eyes and shrugged. "You may leave whenever you would like."

The calculated look melted into something amused and the man nearly collapsed back into the chair for all the care he took.

Sasuke felt a twitch threatened to start in his left eye.

"Nah, I think I'll see how this plays out."

Sasuke's hand ran along the back of the seat as he moved to the front of couch and sat with decidedly more grace. "Your name?"

The man grinned. "Naruto Uzumaki."

"Care to explain what you've been doing the last three months?"

Naruto's fingers drummed against his knees but he held Sasuke's look. "Huh, I don't know. I bought a condo nine weeks ago. First time owner, you know, so that takes some getting used to. And shit, when was the last time you bought washer and dryer? Do you have any idea how stressful… top load, side load, all in one and then they make you pick a color…"

"Mr. Uzumaki," Sasuke voice was flat. "This is not a joke."

"Of course not, Sasuke."

The smile that came to Sasuke face couldn't have been any less inviting.

"I see introductions aren't needed."

"The well-mannered thing would have been to tell me your name after you demanded mine." Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "And besides that, blind children in Quebec know who you are, Mr. Uchiha."

"Tell me what you have been…"

He was interrupted when Naruto sighed loudly and rubbed his hands over his face. Letting them drop, he smiled, soft and embarrassed. "Watching."

"Watching," Sasuke repeated flatly.

"Fine, fine," Naruto's hands rose into the air in surrender. "Maybe I was…" The sentence deteriorated into mumbling and concluded with a flustered grunt.

"Excuse me?"

"Stalking! I might have been stalking, but I'm not sure of the legal definition so I'd feel more comfortable with 'watching', if you don't mind."

Sasuke found himself forcing down a genuine smile and, after realizing it, frowned. "What is your fascination with my brother?"

Naruto, who had relaxed back into his seat, shot forward, mouth gapping. "Your brother? Itachi?" he hollered. "NO! Jesus!" He scrubbed at his eyes like they burned. "What the hell, bastard?"

The confusion must have shown on Sasuke's face because Naruto stopped sputtering as though he'd eaten something fowl and leaned back into the couch. "Don't get me wrong. I voted for him. And I'll vote for him again. Go, Itachi."

Sasuke's eyes widened when Naruto looked directly into the room's hidden camera and grinned, holding two thumbs up.

"But that guy is an asshole."

Sasuke shrugged in response and could only imagine the look on his brother's face.

"Mr. Uzumaki…"

"Naruto, please."

Sasuke glared. "Naruto, if you aren't stalking my brother, then what the hell are you doing?"

Naruto's answer was interrupted by a knock on the study door. Shikamaru strolled into the room and nodded toward both Sasuke and Naruto.

"Yeah, he has a phone call."

Sasuke blinked. "What." Not a question as much as a disgusted statement.

"Our stalker. We," Shikamaru paused, hands shoved into his pockets and head tilted toward the ceiling, "_commandeered_ his phone before bringing him in. It rang. Kiba answered." He shook his head apathetically. "I guess it's important."

Without waiting for Sasuke's permission he tossed the sleek, black phone at Naruto who fumbled it before glancing at the caller id.

"Fuck, yeah, I gotta take this. Excuse me." He stood and stepped toward the window.

Sasuke glared at his back before shifting the glare toward Shikamaru. The lanky man just shrugged. "Don't look at me like that." And then, turning on his heel, he left.

Standing, he walked close enough to Naruto that he could pick up snippets of his conversation. This 'interview' was not progressing as he had assumed. He was supposed to scare the would-be-threat to his brother and send him on his way. Instead, he got Naruto. Obviously not afraid and obviously not who Sasuke had though he was.

"…wrap this up and then, yeah, I'll be there… Yes, I am aware of the definition of emergency. But it's not really an emergency, is it… No one's dying… Yeah, yeah, not funny. I get it. Are you aware of the definition of day off and fast as I can?"

Sasuke watched Naruto hold the phone away from his ear as a screeching that sounded suspiciously like 'brat' cut through the air.

"See you then," Naruto spoke into the phone, still holding it away from his face. Shoving the phone in his pocket, he turned and started, surprised that Sasuke was so close. "So, yeah," he waved a lazy hand around as if pointing to something neither of them could see. "I have to go."

Sasuke stood there in silence, Naruto's words hanging in the air, before his own words sluggishly took shape in his head. "What… who are you?"

Naruto shrugged and leaned his hip against the desk. He nibbled nervously at his bottom lip and when he finally released it from the abuse, his lip was red and swollen and utterly kissable…

Sasuke frowned. "Stop that. You have admitted to stalking and before you walk out of here as though it is a silly hobby of yours, tell me who…"

Naruto's bark of laughter caught Sasuke by surprise. Naruto had tilted his head back and Sasuke could see the skin on his neck danced over his Adam's Apple. With a breathy snort, Naruto seemed to gather control of himself. "Well, damn, Sasuke, I've been stalking you."

Sasuke's entire body tensed and he could almost hear his brother chuckling. This was new.

"Why?"

Naruto gapped at him as if he'd just grown an extra head. After a moment, he blinked and shook his head. "I guess the shallow answer would be because you really are sinfully attractive, and I get that it runs in the family, but that doesn't stop me from wanted to lick you."

There was an audible click of his teeth as Naruto forced himself to stop speaking. A blush spread uninhibited across his cheeks and he lowered his eyes to the carpet.

Sasuke had to swallow twice before he could get his voice to work. "Mr. Uzumaki…"

Naruto huffed, the embarrassment on his face eclipsed by irritation. "If you insist on addressing me so fucking formally, it's Dr. Uzumaki, MD."

"Doctor?" Sasuke questioned, the disbelief evident in every syllable.

Naruto began pacing, rubbing the back of his neck and casting angry glances at Sasuke. "Yes, doctor. I work for Konoha General." He stopped and caught and held Sasuke's look. "In the emergency room."

Something tingled at the base of Sasuke's mind, like a small spark, sputtering and struggling to grow.

"I'm not sure what I was doing, alright? I don't normally stalk people…"

Sasuke's raised eyebrow implied he believed otherwise.

"Bastard," Naruto growled.

"Idiot," Sasuke replied and was surprised when Naruto chuckled.

"Probably. I was there that day, when they brought you in. Blood everywhere and the whole ward didn't know if it was Itachi's or yours and most of them worried more about him than you."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, hearing a version of the tale that he hadn't before.

"Like I said, Itachi is an asshole, but that day, I was glad for it. I was the only one listening to the medics –helping you- and when he exploded, I was the only he left unscathed."

"No one told me this."

Naruto nodded, a sad grin on his face. "Why would they? It wasn't important, not really. I doubt…" The grin turned into something mocking. "Actually, considering we are having this conversation, I know, Itachi doesn't remember who I am."

Naruto checked his watch. "Look, I really have to go. Someone called in sick and they are shorthanded and I don't want the hag to yell anymore than she already is. I don't know what I wanted to happen here, or why I… from you…" His sigh was explosive. "I'm not going to hurt anyone. If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll stop. I really never meant to cross over to stalker. That shit's not cool."

Naruto stood in front of Sasuke, maybe waiting for something, but when it didn't appear that Sasuke wasn't going to offer it, he smiled. The action didn't reach his eyes. "It was nice to meet you, Mr. Uchiha." Once more he waved unrepentantly at the cameras. "And all of you."

Without another word, he stepped around Sasuke and through the door. No one prevented him from leaving.

XXX

Finding Naruto wasn't an issue. He'd told Sasuke where he was going after all. The next morning, Sasuke's driver followed an ambulance into the parking lot, taking a left when the vehicle turned right and pulled into a parking spot.

As Sasuke stepped from his car, the wind wiped at his hair, lashing against his cheeks and forcing him to close his eyes. For a moment, he embraced the darkness, and let the wind clear his mind.

Naruto had been gone for two minutes before Itachi let himself into the study. Neither brother spoke as Itachi quietly and efficiently moved toward the small bar in the corner. There was the light clinking of glasses and the soothing rush of liquid before Itachi stood before him, pressing a glass into his hands.

"That was interesting," Itachi said conversationally while bringing the drink to his lips. Dark black eyes held Sasuke's with an unprecedented intensity but Sasuke was long since immune to Itachi's silent interrogation techniques.

Shrugging, he downed his glass. "Quite."

"Mother will be beside herself. Stalkers after her baby boy. Oh my." The last two words were said with such dry disgust Sasuke couldn't hold back the barest smile that appeared.

"He's not a stalker."

"Oh, but he is. Your stalker. By his own admission." Itachi leaned back against the desk, his fingers curled loosely over the edge.

"He's an idiot," Sasuke said, tapping his empty glass against his thigh, and staring at something over Itachi's shoulder. "He's not going to hurt you."

"Thank heavens," Itachi muttered darkly and Sasuke returned his attention to his brother.

"I know that you can take care of yourself," he began but Itachi waved his hand, dismissing the conversation they never spoke but always skirted around. The complicated dynamic of big and little brother when the little brother wore the gun.

"It is interesting though," Itachi continued as if the tension was nothing more than a hiccup between them. "Now that he reminds me, I do remember him."

"I don't."

"Yes, well, pain, blood, and that trifling moment your heart stopped can do that." The words might have been flippant but the expression on his face was sobering. "He's right. Every person in the hospital had their eyes on me. I wasn't the one lying on a gurney. I wasn't the one bleeding. I wasn't the one the paramedics were screaming over." Itachi ran one, long fingered hand over his hair. "That man, your stalker, he pushed his way through the crowd. He looked me up and down and pushed his way by me like I was none of his concern. He got to your side, I don't know how he heard anything over the utter, ridiculous chaos, but when he turned, yelling for people to move, so he could get through, so he could save you… I snapped."

"According to Naruto, it was epic. I am sorry I missed it."

Itachi's lips curled into a wicked smile. "It was epic."

Sasuke watched him in silence only broken when he brother stood, straightening his jacket and tie. "Still, Mother will be beside herself."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, an objection on his lips, but Itachi continued.

"She finally has an answer to her question."

Sasuke's eyes were the only thing that reflected his confusion but Itachi walked passed him, stopping at his side. Sasuke felt the solid squeeze on his shoulder. "When you are watching me, who is watching you?"

The door had shut behind Itachi before Sasuke closed his eyes, fingers curling dangerously around the glass in his hand. "Naruto."

The emergency room was packed. Sasuke weaved forward until he had reached the desk. Three people stood in scrubs, two talking rapidly with each other, a patient chart being shoved back and forth between them. The third, a man dress in mauve, was leaning over a magazine, languidly turning the pages. People were in different levels of distress around him, babies cried, and the man turned the page.

"Excuse me?" Sasuke said coming to a stop a few feet from the man. A janitor was cleaning up something questionable from the floor. Gray eyes blinked up at him, running up and down before he went back to his magazine.

"Did you stop at the check-in desk? Have you been through triage? Do you think any of these lovely people would mind if you just weaseled your way to the front of the line?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and read 'Dr. Kakashi Hatake, MD'. "No, No, and I don't want to be at the front of any line."

A grinned pulled at the man's face. "Oh, I see what this is about but I'm a happily married man."

"When is Naruto Uzumaki working?"

Kakashi chuckled and turned another page. "Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to divulge the schedules of other physicians. Never know when someone wants to track someone down and…"

Sasuke was about to interrupt when a pink-haired doctor shoved Kakashi aside, talking without looking up from a chart she scratched notes on. "Naruto is in curtain eight. He's been here since last night. We're going to have to let him go soon."

Kakashi's grin grew until it nearly curled his eyes into inverted U's. "Right. Thank you, Sakura."

He winked at Sasuke, motioned to the waiting room, and followed behind Sakura who hadn't seemed to notice Sasuke at all.

Three hours later, Sasuke was sure that his tailbone was bruised. If he was still able to stand when this was over, he swore that he would be donating to the hospital with the stipulation that the money go to new chairs.

He'd just slid a little lower, in the hopes of taking pressure off his abused ass, when a flash of blond caught his eye.

Naruto walked past the desk, his face nearly zombie-like. He dropped the chart in his hand without even stopping, stumbled around a man in a wheelchair, and disappeared behind a swinging door. Sasuke stood, wincing at his backside, with the intent of following Naruto, but the doctor stepped out almost as soon as he had disappeared.

Naruto was simultaneously shoving an arm into the same leather jacket he was wearing earlier, while digging into his pockets with his other hand, and holding a paper bag between his teeth. His head was turned toward the desk, silently returning their farewells, when he turned, nearly running into Sasuke.

Naruto froze, arm bent at an awkward angle, and the bag in his mouth fell to the floor. He licked his lips nervously while his eyes darted around as though he thought he might be tackled at any moment.

"Sasuke," he said off a surprised breath, finally pulling the jacket on completely. "What are you doing here?"

Sasuke smirked, stepping a little closer. "Watching."

Naruto blinked his eyes for what seemed like a needlessly long time and Sasuke was suddenly aware that had Naruto come directly to work after talking to him yesterday and was only leaving now, he had to have been awake for over twenty-four hours.

"Naruto?" he asked softly and Naruto's head tilted to the side before he shook it.

"Yeah, um. Watching, I get it. Funny." His face still looked confused and he bent to get the bag off the floor. "So, really… um, why?"

Naruto shifted from one foot to the other, and zipped his coat without looking away. Sasuke could see the exhaustion on Naruto's face and in the way he held himself. Sasuke had hoped to have a real discussion, but from the looks of it, he wasn't entirely sure that Naruto would remember.

"You said that you watch me, but you never really answered why?" So much for letting Naruto rest.

Naruto sighed, but there was no annoyance, just resignation. "The whole world has Itachi's back, you most of all. I just," Naruto's eyes darted to the floor. "Look, I know that I don't know anything more complicated about you than your name and blood type, but I just thought someone should have your back." Honest blue eyes met his. "That's it."

"That's it," Sasuke repeated flatly.

The grin that spread over Naruto's face was clouded by his exhaustion, but impossible to hide. "And you're fucking hot." The chuckle that followed turned into a yawn. "I gotta…"

"Just what exactly do you think you can do? You have my back? What does that mean?" Sasuke's words were harsh, but something about Naruto's answer left him disappointed. He hadn't really known what he was looking for, but the answer left him wanting more.

Naruto cleared his throat. He rubbed at the back of his neck and closed his eyes. "I don't know what you want from me. I recognize irrational behavior, but since that day… I can't."

His eyes snapped open. "But maybe next time," Naruto's mouth clamped shut, his eyes wide with imagined horror. "If there is a next time, you won't be overshadowed because I'll be right there!" The last words were hissed out.

"You don't know me."

"God dammit, I want to!"

As is typical when a person yells out something potential devastating and monumentally embarrassing, the whole ER had became unnaturally silent.

"Shit," Naruto sighed. "I'm leaving. I'm fucking tired. I don't know what you want me to say. Am I a stalker? Yes. Do I wish I could be something different," He chewed on his lower lip. "Something more? Yes. But right now, I'm going… Hey! What the hell?"

Sasuke had wrapped his fingers around Naruto's wrist and was dragging him toward the exit.

Naruto struggled weakly before planting his feet near the exit. "Uchiha, what are you doing?"

"We need to talk," Sasuke said and yanked hard, nearly sending Naruto to the floor.

Gaining his balance, Naruto pulled back, breaking free of Sasuke's hold. They were now outside of the ER and the wind had picked twice what it was before. Sasuke turned and looked at Naruto who petulantly glared back at him. The wind blew his hair in all directions and his cheeks and nose were already smudged red from the cold.

"I am tired!" Naruto said, voice raised to be heard over the wind. "I can't deal with this," a moment of flailing, arms moving in silent communication that Sasuke interrupted as 'this whatever the fuck this is'. The sigh was inaudible but deflated Naruto's whole body. "Sleep, please."

Two words that Sasuke couldn't hear over the wind but seemed to take everything out of Naruto. Later, Sasuke would say it was that moment, Naruto's shoulders shagging from exhaustion, his eyes clouded with irritation and confusion and something softer, that cemented Sasuke's decision that having his own person stalker was just fine… just so long as it was _this_ stalker.

Sasuke stepped forward until he was nearly pressed against Naruto's body. His hands ran over the dark blue fabric of Naruto's scrubs and he smirked when Naruto's body melted into his. One hand wound around Naruto's neck, brushing the golden curls he found there, before he leaned in and whispered, "I'm taking you home, idiot."

Again with the seemingly endless blinking and Naruto's forehead pressed into Sasuke's shoulder. "'Kay."

Kiba had parked and was holding open the door. Sasuke merely nodded his thanks and pushed Naruto into the back of the car. He'd just slid in beside the doctor, a smile curling his lips as he watched Naruto tugged sluggishly on the seatbelt when his phone rang.

Fastening his own belt, Sasuke held the phone to his ear. "Yes." Even though he had looked at the window, he watched Naruto's reflection finally tame the seatbelt.

"Sasuke, I wasn't aware that you had the day off," his brother's deep voice echoed down the line.

"I make the schedule." Sasuke leaned back into the seat and felt the car being to move.

"I approve that schedule."

"I reserve the right to alter the schedule as deemed necessary." Sasuke felt something lightening in his chest. Naruto's thigh brushed against his own and although Sasuke didn't look over to see his face, the fact that he didn't move made Sasuke warmer than the gentle touch.

"It is your job to inform me of these alterations so that I might approve them."

"I don't need your approval." Sasuke didn't try to stop the smirk that came to his face.

"I am the boss of you." Neither did his brother if his silky tone was any indication.

"Itachi, is there some point?" Any other day, his words might have been harsh, but Naruto's head had fallen onto his shoulder, his gentle breath ghosting over Sasuke's neck, and his body curled into Sasuke's.

"I trust your little stalker situation has been handled."

Sasuke smiled, unseen by anyone, but he was sure Itachi heard it anyway. He looked down, Naruto's hand had slipped off his own thigh and his fingers curled against the seat, brushing Sasuke's thigh. Slowly, with a cautiousness Sasuke hadn't needed to use outside of his job, his own fingers slid around Naruto's. 

"Yes, it's been handled."

A deep chuckle and the click of the phone disconnecting was his only answer.

"Boss?"

Sasuke looked up, sliding his phone into his breast pocket, and met Kiba's brown eyes in the mirror.

"Where to?"

Sasuke looked down at Naruto's sleeping face, pillowed against him and so relaxed. Shifting down in the seat, he closed his eyes, resting his head against the back of the seat.

"Drive," he answered, feeling the weight and heat of Naruto's hand in his. "Just drive."


End file.
